Easy Peasy #37: Build Your Dividend Portfolio & Live Off Dividends with Pre-Selected Stock Sets

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Intro

Turnaround: Trade Hopes Lift Wall Street

Tariff Chill Meets Earnings Heat

Markets roared back with a vengeance on Tuesday, snapping four-day losing streaks across the board. The Dow soared 1,016.57 points (+2.66%) to 39,186, the S&P 500 surged 129.56 (+2.51%) to 5,287, the Nasdaq leapt 429.52 (+2.71%) to 16,300, and the Russell 2000 climbed 49.96 (+2.71%) to 1,890.

The rally picked up steam after Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent reportedly told investors the U.S.-China tariff standoff is “unsustainable”, hinting at potential de-escalation. Meanwhile, the White House said it’s making "a lot of progress" in negotiations, reviewing 18 trade proposals and holding talks with 34 countries this week. Sure, final deals might take months, but Wall Street loves a good headline.

Earnings added fuel to the fire, with solid numbers from GE, MMM, DGX, and a rebound in solar stocks after steep tariffs were finalized on Southeast Asian panels. Meanwhile, Tesla loomed large post-close. On the flip side, VZ, KMB, and defense contractors like RTX and NOC disappointed.

Gold faded after tagging all-time highs, but Bitcoin broke out above $91,600, and yields slipped at the long end. Oh, and LizAnn Sonders reminded us: the S&P’s had 19 -1% days already this year — same as all of 2024. Buckle up.

📊 Economic Data

• Richmond Fed Composite Index (Apr):-13 vs -4 prior

• Manufacturing Shipments:-17 (vs -7 prior)

• Services Revenues:-7 (vs -4 prior)

Commodities, Currencies & Treasuries

• Gold: Fell $5.90 (-0.17%) to $3,419.40, after hitting record intraday highs of $3,509.90.

• WTI Crude: Rose $1.23 (+1.95%) to $64.31

• Brent Crude: Gained $1.18 (+1.78%) to $67.44

• Bitcoin: Popped over $91,600, up 3.8% on the day

• 10Y Treasury Yield: Slipped 1.8bps to 4.387%

• 2Y Yield: Rose 5.4bps to 3.806%

• Dollar Index: Rebounded to 98.85, up 0.55%

🔧 Consumer

• KMB beat with Q1 EPS $1.93 (vs est. $1.89) but sales missed at $4.8B (vs est. $4.89B) and organic sales slid -1.6%. Shares dropped on a soft outlook.

• KHC was downgraded to Market Perform at Bernstein on share losses across key U.S. brands. Jefferies warned weight-loss drugs like LLY’s GLP-1 may hurt snack names PEP, CPB, MDLZ, while helping BRBR, SMPL, KO.

• OXM said China exposure will drop below 35% in FY25 and 10% in FY26.

• Goldman Sachs downgraded M and CURV on weak macro and softlines, but remains bullish on TJX, BURL, and brand leaders like TPR, AS, and RL.

🚗 Autos, 🏨 Leisure & 🎰 Gaming

• TSLA earnings loomed post-close. GPC beat on Q1 EPS and revs, held FY guide, but Q2 came in light.

• Stifel previewed Q1 for gaming: sees a beat for AGS, a miss for LNW, inline for IGT (top pick). Trimmed estimates on DKNG and FLUT after rough March outcomes.

• SRAD double-upgraded to Buy at BofA on stronger visibility and AI upside.

⚡ Energy

• DVN unveiled a business optimization plan targeting $1B in pre-tax FCF improvements.

• HAL missed with Q1 adj EPS $0.60 (est. $0.62), revs fell to $5.4B from $5.8B y/y.

• Solar stocks surged: FSLR, ENPH, SEDG jumped as U.S. finalized tariffs up to 3,500% on Southeast Asian cells.

• Barclays previewed Utilities Q1: downgraded LNT, upgraded CNP, initiated AWK at Underweight. Sees weather-related beats from ATO, EXC, ETR; possible misses from AES, CMS, EVRG.

🏦 Banks & 💳 FinTech

• BOKF missed on lower fees. CADE beat on PPNR. DCOM topped with NIM at 2.95%. WAL beat as credit costs fell. ZION dipped after a mixed print.

• MCO crushed with Q1 EPS $3.83 (est. $3.54), revs $1.9B. EFX beat with EPS $1.53, unveiled a $3B buyback.

• Citigroup upgraded PAGS and STNE to Buy. SYF held its annual guide, announced a $2.5B buyback through mid-2026.

🏥 Healthcare

• RHHBY pledged $50B in U.S. investments over the next 5 years to expand manufacturing, creating 12K jobs — a clear bet on domestic biopharma infrastructure.

• BHC surged after Carl Icahn revealed 34% economic exposure, including a 9.4% stake and additional swap agreements.

• DGX delivered a beat with Q1 EPS $2.21 (est. $2.15) and revs $2.65B, rebounding from early quarter weather disruptions.

• DHR climbed after Q1 strength in Biotech offset flat core revenue, reaffirming FY growth outlook.

• ELV beat with Q1 EPS $11.97 (est. $11.48) and revs $48.8B, reaffirmed FY25 EPS guidance, and posted a better-than-expected benefit expense ratio.

• MEDP raised its full-year guidance but missed net bookings, sparking some concern despite strong profitability.

🛠️ Industrials & 🧱 Materials

• GE topped expectations with Q1 EPS $1.49 (est. $1.27) and $9B in sales. Orders jumped to $12.3B, showing robust demand across aviation and energy units.

• MMM rallied after Q1 EPS $1.88 (est. $1.77) beat, boosted its buyback plan to $2B, but flagged a $0.20–$0.40 EPS hit from tariffs.

• PNR delivered EPS $1.11 (est. $1.01) on revs $1.01B (est. $988.9M) and raised guidance on aftermarket pool equipment strength.

• GOLD exited Alaska’s Donlin mine in a $1.1B deal, selling its stake to John Paulson and NovaGold, freeing up capital for other high-return projects.

✈️ Aerospace & Defense

• BA offloaded Jeppesen and other digital units to Thoma Bravo for $10.55B, streamlining its software business.

• LMT impressed with Q1 EPS $7.28 (vs $6.39 y/y), reaffirmed guidance, and boasted a $172.97B backlog.

• NOC missed on revs $9.47B and slashed FY EPS forecast to $24.95–$25.35 (prior $27.85–$28.25) amid margin pressure.

• RTX posted strong Q1 driven by $7.37B in Pratt & Whitney sales, but midpoint FY guidance trailed expectations.

• HXL disappointed, missing on Q1 and cutting FY EPS view to $1.85–$2.05, blaming ongoing supply chain challenges.

💻 Technology

• VZ topped Q1 estimates but lost 289K postpaid subscribers, more than expected, due to pricing changes.

• EBAY was downgraded at Bernstein on weakening eCommerce trends and tariff risks.

• TTD, MGNI, and CRTO soared after Google extended third-party cookie support in Chrome.

• CRWV began trading post-IPO with a flurry of bullish initiations from major brokers.

• CALX beat Q1 EPS $0.19 (est. $0.13) on revs $220.2M (est. $206.9M), hiked Q2 guidance, and launched a $100M buyback.

• AWS calmed nerves around data center capacity, saying demand remains strong despite colo deal noise.

🎯 What’s Next?

Markets punched back hard Tuesday, but don’t let the green fool you — trade drama and Fed friction are still in the air. Earnings season is heating up with TSLA just hitting after-hours, and GOOGL, META, and MSFT on deck.

1️⃣ Trade Talks: Progress, but no deals yet. Any whiff of delay could reset the tape.

2️⃣ Powell Pressure: Trump’s targeting the Fed, markets are watching for policy signals.

3️⃣ Tariff Fallout: Solar popped, industrials braced — more ripple effects to come.

4️⃣ Data Dump Ahead: GDP, PCE, and more macro to test the bulls.

5️⃣ Earnings Heat: Mega-cap tech is next — time for results to justify the run.

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But none of this news really matters to MaxDividends members. We're focused on growing the cash flow that lands in your pocket every month—not stressing over price swings or stock market noise.

Top Stuff is Going On Inside. Check Your Status & Upgrade to Paid to Join the movement.

This week, we’ve rolled out a fresh batch of ready-to-go Stock Sets 💪.

Easy Peasy #37: Pre-Selected Dividend Growth Stock Sets

⭐️ $300 per Week – Week 37

👉 Link to the Real-Time MaxDividends $300/Weekly Portfolio

• Today's Investment: ~ $228.24

• Total Invested: ~ $11,241.98

• Portfolio Dividend Yield On Cost: ~ 4.05%

• Current Dividends: ~ $438.53 → $457.07

$ 228.24 / 300.00

NIKE Inc | Shares: 4 Price: 228.24

Stock News in the Portfolio

🏆 Brown-Forman Corporation Class B showed profitability +10.30%

• Toro Co is planned to pay dividends in the amount 0.38 USD per share

• Packaging Corp of America is planned to pay dividends in the amount 1.25 USD per share

• FMC Corporation is planned to pay dividends in the amount 0.58 USD per share

Dividend Hikes Q2

• +Best Buy Co increased its dividend payments by +1.06%

• Pepsico boosted its dividend payments by +4.50%

• Genuine Parts Company hiked its dividend payments by +3.00%

• T Row Price increased its dividend payments by +2.40%

⭐️ $500 per Week - Week 37

👉 Link to the Real-Time MaxDividends $500/Weekly Portfolio

• Today's investment: ~ $429.55

• Total Invested: ~ $18,969.91

• Portfolio Dividend Yield On Cost: ~ 4.29%

• Current Dividends: ~ $783.08 → $814.04

$ 429.55 / 500.00

Cummins Inc. | Shares: 1 Price: 279.11

Nexstar Media Group Inc | Shares: 1 Price: 150.44

Stock News in the Portfolio

🏆 Central Pacific Financial Corp showed profitability +23.66%

• Magic Software Enterprises Ltd showed profitability +20.29%

• Abbott Laboratories showed profitability +16.58%

• Brown-Forman Corporation Class B showed profitability +11.54%

Dividend Hikes Q2

• +Best Buy Co increased its dividend payments by +1.06%

• Genuine Parts Company hiked its dividend payments by +3.00%

• T Row Price increased its dividend payments by +2.40%

⭐️ $1,000 per Week - Week 37

👉 Link to the Real-Time MaxDividends $1,000/Weekly Portfolio

• Today's investment: ~ $871.70

• Total Invested: ~ $38,891.82

• Portfolio Dividend Yield On Cost: ~ 4.05%

• Current Dividends: ~ $1,480.40 → $1 540.38

$ 871.70 / 1,000.00

Lowe's Companies Inc | Shares: 1 Price: 219.03

L3Harris Technologies Inc | Shares: 1 Price: 215.08 

Microchip Technology Inc | Shares: 2 Price: 80.58

FedEx Corporation | Shares: 1 Price: 206.57

Nexstar Media Group Inc | Shares: 1 Price: 150.44

Stock News in the Portfolio

🏆 Abbott Laboratories showed profitability +14.33%

• Brown-Forman Corporation Class B showed profitability +10.14%

• Toro Co is planned to pay dividends in the amount 0.38 USD per share

Dividend Hikes Q2

• +Best Buy Co increased its dividend payments by +1.06%

• Pepsico boosted its dividend payments by +4.50%

• Genuine Parts Company hiked its dividend payments by +3.00%

• T Row Price increased its dividend payments by +2.40%

#EasyPeasyStockSets

Max’s Comments

Even on the days when the stock market was moving down, I found interesting ideas to add to my portfolio. Thanks to the MaxDividends app, it doesn’t take much time at all.

This week, I opened two new positions and I’m glad such a great opportunity came up. These are strong names for long-term dividend investors like myself.

As a reminder, I focus on companies that pay solid dividends, consistently grow them over time, and also appreciate in value over the long run.

My goal is to generate growing passive income from dividends and build wealth for the next generations.

Dividends are my go-to strategy for a reason. They’re like the tortoise in the race—slow, steady, and always winning in the long run.

The power of compounding is gaining momentum. My dividend snowball keeps growing.

Ready to Give It a Try?

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The companies we select for the Easy-Peasy Section are exceptional compounders with double-digit dividend yield potential over the next 10-12 years.

The Easy-Peasy Portfolios are built using MaxDividends Tools, which include:

• MaxDividends App - Real-Time Portfolio Tracking

• MaxDividends Assistant - Dividend Ideas - Dividend Yield Maximization

• Dividend Eagles List of Stocks - Pre-Selected Dividend Growth Stock Sets

Investing in dividend growth stocks allows you to generate growing passive income over time. By using ready-made dividend stock sets, you can see exactly how this strategy works in action and how your portfolio can steadily build income through reinvested dividends and consistent growth.

It’s a powerful, simple approach to achieving financial freedom and living off dividends!

Anyone can follow the MaxDividends Concept

• MaxDividends Idea & Conception: The 5 Rules of Timeless Dividend Investing

We’ve gathered a variety of tools for investors to make dividend growth investing easier and more effective. We’re proud to be the largest dividend community on Earth, united by a shared goal: living off dividends.

Our community doesn’t just dream about financial freedom—we’re actively building it, one dividend at a time.

For Dividend Beginners

Start with the ready-to-go MaxDividends Assistant to kickstart your journey toward building growing passive income, retiring early, and living off dividends.

• How to Build Growing Passive Income

For Experienced Dividend Investors

List of Top Dividend Stocks for your own due diligence, Top Ideas Weekly to keep you informed about the best opportunities, In-Depth Reports on the most undervalued, high-potential dividend companies, and much more…

• Dividend Eagles

• Dividend Kings

• Dividend Aristocrats

For All Dreamers Who Want to Live Off Dividends

Join the most dividend-focused community on Earth, where you'll receive:

• Personal support from Max and the MaxDividends Team

• Access to powerful dividend tools to enjoy the journey

• A network of like-minded investors committed to financial freedom

Ready to Give It a Try?

Check Your Subsription Status & Upgrade to Premium.

MaxDividends App

We’re building the best app in the world for dividend investors—designed to help everyone retire early, live off dividends, and build a growing passive income.

With MaxDividends, you’ll have everything you need to track your investments, manage your dividend portfolio, and stay on track to financial freedom—all in one place.

MaxDividends Idea

👉 My Own High-Yield Dividend Growth Story

Retire early and live off dividends. $12,000 monthly for 120 months. No one wants to work forever—make it happen! If you have any questions, feel free to message me.

👉 My Personal Watchlist

Stay updated on the stocks I’m keeping an eye on.

👉 My Portfolio with All Updates and Ideas

Follow along with my real-time portfolio updates and investment ideas.

👉 My Recent Purchases

Check out my most recent stock purchases and the reasoning behind them.

MaxDividends Key Concept

At MaxDividends, we focus on dividend growth investing—a strategy that helps you build a growing stream of passive income over time.

We believe in predictability and peace of mind, which is why we prioritize investing in companies with a proven track record of sustainable, growing dividends.

Why Dividend Growth Investing?

• Capital Appreciation & Growing Income: You can enjoy both capital growth and increasing income as dividends rise over time.

• Consistency: By investing in companies that have been paying and increasing dividends for decades, you can count on a reliable and growing income stream.

• Long-Term Success: The power of compounding dividends allows you to build wealth over time and ultimately live off dividends.

👉 I ❤️ Dividends: Why I Believe Dividend Investing Is the Best Strategy | PDF Book

MaxDividends Strategy

We aim to maximize dividend yields and income growth by carefully selecting the best dividend stocks, tracking performance, and offering tools to help you manage your investments effectively.

Our goal is to help you achieve financial freedom through dividend growth investing and create a life where you can live off your dividends, retire early, and focus on what matters most to you.

Look at This Magic ✨

• September 2024 – $1,814

• Thursday, September 26 – $1,827

• Friday, September 27 – $1,834

• November 2024 → Today – $2,043 → $6,650.10

Just a few days in the life of a dividend investor. These are my monthly dividends from my total investments for now.

MaxDividends Premium Partners already know the magic formula: Each dividend increase puts more money into our pocket.

Remember, dividends are deposited as cash into your trading account. You can either spend the money or reinvest it to keep growing your passive income!

My dividend income just keeps growing. Almost every day. Always upward.

As my income increases, everyday expenses like coffee and lunch get easier to afford, and life just keeps getting brighter.

My Projected MONTHLY Income in 10 Years:

October’24: $10,393.59 → Today: $26,330.18 per month

It’s all about consistent growth and the power of dividends!

Enjoy the Dividend Idea?
Join me on this journey and let’s move forward together toward financial freedom and a life where you can live off dividends

Top Secret Stuff Going On Inside. Check Your Status & Upgrade to Paid to Join the movement.

If you have any questions, feel free to email me at: [email protected]

⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

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Hundreds of premium members have already discovered the benefits of the community and app, earning passive income through dividends with MaxDividends. Their passive income keeps growing!

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• Thought I would share - I was able to create an Ultra High Dividend portfolio w/15 companies today that would net me a $4,200+/month income. I just retired this month and have a current income of $10,230/mo., will be $12,500/mo. in '27 so another $4200/mo. would be nice! Love the app, had a lot of fun creating a portfolio today!

• Thanks for all the hard work putting the MaxDividends! You guys have done all the heavy lifting.

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FAQ

• I ❤️ Dividends: Why I Believe Dividend Investing Is the Best Strategy | PDF Book

• What is the MaxDividends Idea & Concept | PDF Book

• What is the MaxDividends Strategy

• How Do We Select MaxDividends Stocks

• How Effective is the MaxDividends Strategy for Building Growing Passive Income

• One More Secret Ingredient for the MaxDividends Strategy

Someone's sitting in the shade today because someone planted a tree a long time ago. ― Warren Buffett.